Computing devices can provide a user with multiple ways to control the operations of and to input data to a computing device. A computing device can include, for example, a touchscreen display, a keyboard, a mouse, a trackpad, a touchpad, a pointing stick, one or more mouse buttons, a trackball, a joystick, and other types of input devices. A user of the computing device can interact with one or more of these input devices when providing input to and/or otherwise controlling the operation of an application running on the computing device. For example, the user may interact with the computing device by making direct contact with (e.g., touching with one or more fingers) the touchscreen.
As computing devices become smaller, the available area on the computing device for these inputs devices may be reduced. For example, a laptop or notebook computer may include a lid and a base. The lid may include a display (which can be a touchscreen) that may occupy substantially the entire surface area of one side of the lid of the computing device. In addition, some laptop or notebook computers may include a lid having a touchscreen within an area that extends beyond the area of the display, for example, over a bezel that surrounds the display. The base may include one or more of, for example, a keyboard, a pointing stick, mouse buttons, a touchpad, and/or a trackpad. These input devices can occupy a large portion of the base of the computing device.
A user handling the computing device may inadvertently touch an input device on the base of the computing device or touch the touchscreen in the lid of the computing device when they did not intend to provide any type of input to the computing device. For example, a user closing the lid of the computing device may touch the touchscreen. In another example, a user moving their computing device on their desk may touch one or more of the input devices on the base of the computing device. Thus, a need exists for systems, methods, and apparatus to address the shortfalls of present technology and to provide other new and innovative features.